minimum tax. the white house report estimates that consumer spending would fall by $200 million. now that's more than three times what consumers spent just over this entire holiday weekend. there could be a drag on a range of industries from cars and housing to restaurants and supermarkets, if congress can't reach a deal. and look, pocketbook issues are not the only problem here. carl levin, the democratic senator and chair of the armed services committee said automatic cuts to government spending could impact public safety. >> i think you should be worried if you have a defense job and we all ought to be worried whether we are dependent upon other aspects of the federal budget. whether we're worried about the regulation of our food safety, whether we're worried about our borders being secure, whether we're worried about fbi being supported, it's all affected by sequestration. >> joining me now, cnbc washington reporter eamon javers. you heard the numbers we just ran down. what is the short-term t